St. Charles East High School debuted its first performance of “Clue” on Feb. 6, 2026, followed by additional shows on the seventh and eighth. From the moment the curtains opened, it was clear the audience was in for a treat. The performances were remarkable; each actor on stage fully embodied their character, showcasing not only skill and talent but also dramatic suspense. From the smallest gestures to the boldest outbursts, the cast’s attention to detail brought the story to life and kept the audience engaged throughout.

The play’s storyline was captivating and cleverly written, drawing inspiration from the popular board game and film adaptation. There were seven main characters—each with their own secrets and motives—and six classic murder weapons. The plot unfolded with constant twists and turns, keeping the audience guessing who the culprit could be. Every scene was packed with suspense and humor, skillfully balancing moments of tension with laugh-out-loud comedy. As the mystery deepened, the stakes rose, and by the end of the show, six characters had met their untimely demise, all contributing to the show’s thrilling, unpredictable atmosphere.

The set was astonishing; it was very detailed, and the set crew had made it seem like there were secret passageways to get to a new room. And the paint job, along with the furniture, made the mansion feel very eerie, to go along with the storyline. The set crew built four separate set areas on a single rotating mechanism. The tech director, a teacher at East, Mr. Mazanin, was the one who came up with the creative idea for the rotating set, and it came out perfectly. It was built in a way that made scene changes swift and easy, allowing seamless and smooth transitions. It took lots of hard work from the cast, crew and director in order to get every detail right and make sure no pieces of the puzzle were left out. The director, Jennifer Goss, said in an interview that there were “Tons of small details to work out, but that cast was just so fantastic.”

I felt that the wardrobe for the play fit perfectly with each character. For example, Miss Scarlett wore a long sequined red dress with simple but nice, clean makeup, and her hair pulled back suggested elegance to add to her performance. Another character, Colonel Mustard, wore a fake mustache and a suit with military pins and patches, adding to his background of working with the government. While there were no costume changes, it didn’t feel necessary because of how the performance was stunted with one thing happening after another. It didn’t feel like there were any dull parts.

Claire Ashbrook, a freshman at East, who attended the opening night, gave her thoughts on the production, “I thought it was really entertaining. The whole cast did an amazing job, and the set was so cool. I loved how it could turn and rotate. There wasn’t a single part in the show where I was bored; I was very invested in what was going on. I thought it was both hilarious and suspenseful. The cast and crew all did an amazing job, and if I could see it again, I definitely would.”

Overall, every part of the performance was done amazingly, from the acting to the set and the costumes. Once again, East High School’s theater department did an astonishing job, with yet another remarkable performance of an Off-Broadway adaptation.